Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals following a comfortable 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Chasing a daunting two-goal deficit from the first leg, Liverpool came out with urgency, spurred on by a lively Anfield crowd, but a fairy tale comeback was not to be.
PSG carved out the first genuine opening when Liverpool stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili was forced into a hurried retreat to prevent Ousmane Dembele from capitalising on a loose moment off his line.
The French winger remained a constant threat, soon spurning another opportunity by lifting an effort over the bar from close range. Liverpool’s task became even more complicated when Hugo Ekitike was forced off through injury.
But that paved the way for Mohamed Salah’s introduction, and the Egyptian striker nearly made an immediate impact. A dangerous delivery from Salah found Ibrahima Konate, whose knockdown teed up Milos Kerkez, only for PSG gloveman Matvey Safonov to produce a sharp save. The danger wasn’t over, as Marquinhos reacted swiftly to block Virgil van Dijk from converting the rebound.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot rang the changes for the second stanza, and Liverpool returned with renewed energy. Cody Gakpo tested Safonov early in the second half, while Joe Gomez came close to a breakthrough but could only head over.
The hosts continued to press and briefly thought they had a lifeline when Alexis Mac Allister won a penalty under a challenge from Willian Pacho, only for VAR to overturn the decision. The introduction of Rio Ngumoha injected fresh impetus, yet it was PSG who delivered the decisive moment. With under 20 minutes remaining, Dembele collected the ball from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, shifted onto his left foot, and curled a precise finish beyond Mamardashvili’s reach.
The hosts’ response lacked conviction, and any lingering hopes were extinguished in stoppage time. Bradley Barcola’s unselfish pass found Dembele unmarked, allowing him to tap in his second of the night and seal a comprehensive victory.
Slot lamented the overturning of the penalty, but admitted it was par for the course.
“I’m not surprised as so many decisions have gone against us this season,” he said after the match
“It’s quite simple. If the referee doesn’t give a penalty, the VAR would have never overturned it but I’ve seen so many soft penalties given but people say VAR can’t interfere because there is contact. That is what we clearly see.”
Reds defender Ibrahima Konate was adamant that the penalty should have stood.
“For me, it was a clear penalty,” said the Frenchman.
“I was behind the referee. If we get the penalty and score it would have been completely different.”
